


Lost

by nerdy_bookworm_1998



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Multi, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-10-02 08:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17261093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdy_bookworm_1998/pseuds/nerdy_bookworm_1998
Summary: After an accident, the reader finds themselves in the Marvel universe with the Avengers





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by an imagine I saw on Pinterest by the wonderful Marvel imagines, please check out their pinterest, wattpad and IG accounts under the same name @marvelimagines. I have no idea where I'm going with this fic, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see where the writing takes me

'Just another crappy day in the boring life of y/n y/l/n' I think to myself as I shut off my alarm clock and drag my aching body from the warm confines of my bed to start the day. After a quick wash and a breakfast consisting of bitter coffee and stale cornflakes, I rush out of my apartment to catch the train into Manhatten. I work as a barista at a small coffee shop just opposite the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I barely make it on time for my 8 am shift. With the ridiculously bright yellow apron thrown on over my head and tied behind my back, I plaster on a smile and welcome the first customers for the day. "Welcome to muzeul de artă, what can I get for you?" 

The day drags by, agonizingly slow and with very few customers, save for the regulars. By lunchtime, I cannot help but think that perhaps being mummified alive would be more fun than standing behind the counter, waiting for pompous coffee snobs to decide if they would rather have a grande chai tea latte, 3 pumps skim milk, lite water, no foam, extra hot or a caramel macchiato, venti, skim, extra shot, extra-hot, extra-whip, sugar-free. Just as Kim, the other barista, shows up to start her shift, Gabe sticks his head out of the office and calls "Hey y/n, could you step in here for a moment, please?"

Gabe is the manager, the owner's son, and a world-class creep. He would stand right behind me as I'm making drinks, his hand occasionally touching my ass or lower back; sometimes when it was a particularly slow day, he would stand next to me, telling me all about his previous night's conquest and how he made them scream; he would take any and every opportunity to stare at my bum and breasts; and worst of all was his constant inappropriate comments. It isn't as if I haven't tried to get him to back off and leave me alone; I tried telling him it made me uncomfortable; I even talked to his father, the owner, who promised me he would talk to him. But nothing ever happened. If it weren't for the fact that I need this job, I would have resigned a long time ago.

With a heavy heart and sweaty palms, I enter the small office, taking a seat before the desk. "Y/N," Gabe smirks at me before schooling his features into a mask of pity, "I am sorry to have to do this, I really wish that there was another way, but I'm afraid I have to let you go, effective immediately. My father feels that it is time to move on, so we're closing the business and moving to Chicago. You can collect your three months paycheck at the end of the week, but you don't have to come into work again." I am absolutely numb with shock, unable to process exactly what is happening or hear as Gabe continues to carry on about how sorry he is about firing me. 

I am abruptly brought back to my senses when I feel Gabe's lips against mine. I wrench away from him, spluttering indignantly, "What the fuck, Gabe?!" "Oh come on sweetness, I know you've always had a crush on me. Why else would you play hard to get, huh? Just think of this as a reward for all your years of hard work," he smirks as he goes to kiss me again, his hand a bruising grip on my hips. Before he can connect I land a hard slap across his face and jerk my knee up into his groin, causing him to double over in pain. Using his distraction, I wrench open the door and bound from the office, grab my bag from the counter and run from the shop. Behind me, Gabe yells out "YOU STUPID BITCH! YOU'LL REGRET THIS!"

I keep on running, unaware of where to, I just know that I have to get away from Manhattan. Before I know it, I've crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. I keep on running until I can't anymore and my legs give out from under me. Is it just me, or is it taking longer to fall than it should? I open my eyes to see trees hurtling towards me. Great, I've actually managed to find the only damn cliff in New York to fall off of. At least it's peaceful. That is my last thought before darkness overtakes me.


	2. Chapter 1

When I slowly regain consciousness I'm completely bewildered. There are voices all around me, mostly male, but I make out one or two females as well. It sounds like they're arguing about something. "How do we know she's not a threat?! An agent planted by Hydra?!" an angry voice yells. "Maybe because she was unconscious and barely breathing?!" an equally angry voice retorts. I try to shrink into myself, away from the voices that are scaring me.

"She's awake," a soft feminine voice says next to me. "Finally, maybe now we can get some answers," a gruff voice murmurs a little further away. Slowly, I manage to open my eyes, wincing against the sudden intrusion of the bright overhead lights. Once my eyes have adjusted I take a look around the room, absorbing my surroundings. The walls are a mix of dark grey and wood paneling, with a white ceiling, glossy slate grey tiles, and a myriad of medical equipment stationed around the spacious room. I am lying in a hospital bed, but it is much larger and more comfortable than any other bed I've ever been in.

"Hello miss, my name is doctor Banner, can you tell me your name?" a man next to you says. His voice is soft, gentle almost as he speaks. Doctor Banner is dressed in black slacks, a purple button up shirt and a crisp white lab coat, his eyes are a warm, comforting brown and he smells faintly of coffee and mint.

"Y/N...My name is Y/N," I manage to rasp out, my voice hoarse. I look at the people spread out around the room, all of them holding a tenseness to their posture, almost as if they expect a fight to break out at any moment. After struggling for a moment I ask "Who are you people, and where am I?" 

"We're the Avengers, and you are at the Avengers compound" the tall, well-built blond in the black sweatpants and a blue t-shirt that's about two sizes too small for him answers. "What's that? Like a band or something?" I'm feeling confused and start to panic slightly, or at least, I was panicking until a red haze overtook my vision and I could feel myself relaxing.

The next time I wake there is only two people in the room, doctor Banner, and a petite brunette girl with black skinny jeans, a red top, and black sneakers sitting next to my bed. "Hello, I'm Wanda," she says in a soft voice, she sounds foreign, but I can't place my finger on where at the moment. "Hi" I whisper back.

"Hello y/n, it's good to see you awake again. I'm sorry if we might have overwhelmed you earlier. From your reaction, I gather that you might not be from here, can you tell me where you're from? What do you remember?"

"I'm from Manhattan..." I search my mind for any memories and remember the running, the fall... and then nothing. "I was running away from someone...I was scared and didn't see where I was going...I fell from a cliff...then I woke up here."

It is dead silent for a few moments before Wanda gasps, her eyes widening exponentially. "Bruce, that weird storm we had right before we found her, you don't think that might have anything to do with it?" Bruce removes his specks from his eyes, rubbing them before looking back up. "It could be a possibility, but we would need to run more tests to be sure. In the meantime, I'll talk to Tony about getting a bedroom set up, that is if you don't mind staying here a while longer?" he looks to y/n as he says this.

"Well, it's not like I have anywhere I need to be, so sure. Use me as a guinea pig doc, let's find out why I'm here," she shrugs and gives them a small smile.


	3. Chapter 2

Tony was somewhat hesitant at first, but after promises from Wanda and Bruce that I am not a threat, he agreed to let me stay in one of the bedrooms in the compound. Wanda was kind enough to borrow some of her clothes to me until we could go shopping since no one knew how long I would be staying.

The room was beautiful with floor to ceiling windows covering one wall and the others painted a light grey, there was a plush cream carpet on the floor and a king-sized bed with charcoal sheets, it even had its own walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom. After a warm bath and changing into a comfortable pair of black leggings and a chunky knit red sweater Wanda led me to the common room for dinner with the rest of the inhabitants of the compound.

The moment I set foot into the common room the noise at the dining room table died down. Trying my best to control every impulse that screamed at me to run and hide, I give a small, shy smile and a little wave to the stunned faces around the mahogany table before ducking my head and sitting down between Wanda and Bruce.

The awkwardness is broken when a petite redhead smiles at me coyly and says, "Hi, I'm Natasha, I'm glad to see you're looking better this evening. This is Clint, Steve, Bucky, Thor, Tony, and Vision," she introduces the other people at the table. Despite her calm and friendly smile, I get an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach, like I know this is not someone to mess with. Dinner goes by about as smoothly as eating with a bunch of strangers can go and afterward I excuse myself to go back to my room, unaware of the eyes following my movements.

I'm wandering through a strange building. The smell of mold is thick in the air with only a light breeze wafting through on occasion. The floor, walls, and ceiling are all exposed concrete and the emergency lights cast an eery red glow over the scene. No matter which turns I take, the corridors still all look identical; a never-ending maze of monotony. I realize that there is no way out as a strangely familiar, yet foreign laugh echoes from the speakers and the corridor fills with a gas that burns my lungs and airways as I struggle to breathe. Black spots start dancing in front of me like fireflies, beautifully hypnotic and always just out of reach. They grow in size until they cover my eyes completely, shroud me in a blanket as heavy and unyielding as wrought iron. As the darkness claims me, willing me to stop fighting and accept my inevitable fate, I can make out the sound of heavy boots strolling closer, ever closer...

I bolt upright, my body covered in a sticky sheen of sweat, my hair plastered to my skin in ropes and my ears ringing like the tolling bells of Notre Dame. I can feel my heart thundering in my ribcage, trying desperately to claw its way up my throat as sobs rack through my body in unrelenting waves. What the hell did I just dream?


	4. Chapter 3

The next week was a routine of being poked and prodded and having tests done by Bruce; meals with the team were getting easier as they slowly warmed up to me, of course, it might have helped that I had started making food for everyone; and nights were filled with the same dream as the first night.

Today was Saturday and Bruce was making me do all sorts of exercises I really couldn't do, or should I say didn't want to do. After the tenth time of falling off the pommel horse in the gym, I had just about enough. Just as I was about to ask him if we could take a break the lights overhead flickered and went out. 

"Bruce? Are you okay?" I ask as I grab the doctor before he can stumble into the bench press. "I'm fine, you?" he asks. "I'm okay, I thought Tony said that the compound never experiences power outages?" "It doesn't, something's wrong, something's very wrong," he explains as the lights flicker back on.

At that moment, Tony, Thor, Steve, and Bucky come barging in, all armed with weapons, clearly looking for an intruder. "Tony, what's going on?" Bruce speaks calmly. "There was a power surge that came from this room, it's what knocked everything out, figured it might be someone trying to break in." "No one's been in here all morning, except for me and Bruce," I say as calmly as I can, despite the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck standing to attention.

"Friday, do a scan of the room please," Tony asks the AI. "The surge seemed to emanate from miss l/n, boss, and I'm picking up an increased body temperature" comes the reply a few seconds later. "You think I did this?" I ask incredulously. "Well, that does seem the only logical explanation" Bucky quips sarcastically from the door. "Buck..." Steve warns. "Do you have a problem with me, sergeant? Because I have no qualms about kicking your ass, supersoldier or not," I hiss as the others step in front of me, trying to keep a distance between the two of us.

"Sorry, princess, but I don't fight girls, especially not one that's so weak I'd break her in half without batting an eye," he smirks cockily. Before anyone can think to say anything, I had already moved around them, swiping the brunet's legs from under him, pinning him to the mats with his own knife to his throat. "Who's the weak one now? Huh, princess?" I smirk down at him. "H-how did you do that?" he sounds stunned. That was when what I had done caught up with my mind and I dropped the knife, scooting away as far as I could. "I-I'm so so sorry, I don't know what happened."

"This is incredible, your cells are regenerating and mutating so fast, it's almost impossible to keep track of it all...we might have to monitor you for a while, but my best guess is that whatever brought you here also activated any dormant abilities you have. I'll have to talk to Shuri, but I'm sure between her and Tony, they could come up with something to help you learn to harness and control your abilities as they manifest," Bruce's voice is full of quiet amazement and awe.

After the incident in the gym, Bruce had whisked me back to the lab to run further tests to try and figure out just what exactly was happening to me. I was a little nervous about dinner that evening, sure that it would be awkward since everyone had undoubtedly heard what I had done by now, which meant that I made way too much food; seafood paella, garlic focaccia, greek salad, even baklava for dessert.

As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, Bucky made a beeline towards me with a kind smile on his face. "Hey, y/n, look I just wanted to apologize for earlier. It was uncalled for of me to be such a jerk and I sincerely apologize." It took a few moments for his words to sink in, by which time he had started to look anxious and shuffled his feet. "It's okay Bucky, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I don't even know how I did it." I manage to muster up a smile.

That night I struggle to get to sleep, after what seems like hours of tossing and turning I decided to give it up and go get a glass of water. I had just set the glass on the sink in the kitchen when there was the sound of a throat clearing from the doorway, startling me. When I whirled around Bucky was standing in the doorway, looking distinctly sheepish. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you doll" his voice is soft and smooth, almost comforting. "It's okay, I guess I'm just a little bit jumpy lately," I shrug nonchalantly. 

There is a moment of awkward silence, neither of us knowing what to say. Just as I'm about to leave he walks slowly closer until he is only a few inches away. "I'm going to do something, and if it makes you uncomfortable, you can punch me in the face, I won't mind," he whispers cautiously as he tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear before slowly leaning in.

I don't have any time to panic before his lips are pressed gently against mine in an achingly sweet kiss that sets off fireworks behind my eyelids as they slide shut and I find myself kissing him back. His hands find their way to my hips as mine bury themselves in his silky hair. I only realize we had been moving when my back comes into contact with a wall, but I can't bring myself to care as the kiss grows steadily more heated with his tongue caressing mine in a dance that feels familiar yet completely foreign at the same time.

Just as his hands slip under my shirt, Natasha walks in, causing Bucky to jump away as if I'd burned him. "Please, don't stop on my account." The smirk is evident in her voice as she looks between the two of us. Blushing in embarrassment at being caught, I bolt from the room as fast as I can. 

I only stop once I close my bedroom door behind me and fall into bed. What the hell was I thinking?! I'm not the type of person that just goes around kissing random guys! Especially not ones that look like they were sculpted by Zuess himself! Although I do have to admit, that was definitely the best kiss I've ever had. As I fall asleep a while later, all I can think and dream of is what might have happened if we weren't interrupted. Yup, I am so screwed.


	5. Chapter 4

When I woke up the following morning, it was with a pounding headache, a nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach, and a mouth full of cotton. Great, a migraine is all I need right now.

I stumble into the kitchen and make a beeline for the coffee pot, completely ignoring the snickers from the team behind me. "Nice jammies y/n," Sam chokes out as I look down at my matching Minnie Mouse shorts and tank top with a grunt. Looking through half-lidded eyes I plop down in a seat and rest my head on my arms. 

"Y/N, are you okay? You're looking a bit pale there, maybe we should skip the testing today, let you rest," Bruce says with concern evident in his voice. "Please, migraine," is all I manage to groan out before a surge of bile sends me sprinting to the nearest bathroom.

As I sit, resting my cheek against my arm, trying to catch my breath, there is a sudden flash of golden light behind my eyelids and I see two faces, one is young with slick, shoulder-length hair and mischievous green eyes, the other is older, a salt and pepper beard and mustache adorning his face, a perfect match to his short hair, both wearing sad smiles. "I'm sorry y/n, but this is for the best, it's the only way to keep you safe," the older man says just before I am surrounded by glowing golden light once more, and then nothing but empty darkness.

 

It must be hours later when I regain consciousness because the first thing I notice is that I'm laying down and there is a cold cloth on my forehead, soft voices murmuring around me. When I finally get my eyes to open, I am on one of the overstuffed couches in the living room with Bruce, Wanda, and Bucky hovering over me. "I already told you doc, I ain't leaving her side until she wakes up," the brunet supersoldier whisper yells to which Bruce shakes his head in exasperated resignation.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Wanda jokes in her soft, lilting voice as she helps me sit up. The two men are there in a flash, concern etched deeply onto their faces. "Y/N, do you know what happened? Who I am?" Bruce is the first to speak. "Relax, Bruce, I just had a...I guess you could call it a vision, or a flashback and then I blacked out.

"What did you see?" Bucky asks as he sits beside me, hesitantly rubbing circles into my back. "It was weird...there was this golden light, then there were these two guys, and one of them told me that he was sorry, that it is for the best and the only way to keep me safe, then there was more light, and then I blacked out..." It is silent for a few moments before Wanda perks up. "Y/N, would it be alright if I searched your mind? Maybe I can see who they were, maybe they know why you are here."

"I guess it's worth a shot, go for it," I smile at her. I know that I've only known these people a few days, but I already trusted all of them with my life. A red haze washes over me as Wanda starts sifting through my memories, going faster and faster the further back she goes, until she comes to an abrupt halt. "I can't go any further back, it's like there is a brick wall between me and the rest of your memories that I can't get through. Whoever did this, clearly doesn't want to be found, or want you to remember. I'm sorry, y/n." She looks sad and frustrated that she cannot help more. I gently put my hand on hers and give it a soft squeeze. "It's not your fault Wanda, I can still vaguely remember the flashback, what if I show it to you, or we try to draw it?" She nods slowly and I try to remember what I saw until I have a more or less clear picture in my mind of them.

"They do look vaguely familiar, I'll go show this to Steve and ask him to do a drawing for us." And with that, she bounds off in search of the captain while Bruce mumbles something about being in his lab before walking off, leaving me and Bucky alone. 

The silence that descends upon the room is comfortable as I absentmindedly lean into his touch, closing my eyes to enjoy the sensation of the skin-to-skin contact. "So, I wanted to talk to you about last night," he says quietly and I hum to show that I'm listening. "Look, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable or crossed a line or anything. I don't want you to think that I was trying to take advantage of you, because I would never, ever do that. It's just that, since you put me on my ass in the gym, all I could think about was kissing you, I know that it doesn't excuse my actions but I just wanted you to know that-" I gently cut him off by pressing my finger to his lips. "Bucky, you didn't make me uncomfortable or cross a line. Trust me, if you had, I would've let you know. I can't really describe it, but when you're around, even when you're being a cocky asshat, I feel safe. I know it doesn't really make sense, but I just thought you should know."

The smile he gives me is blindingly bright as he gently wraps his arms around my waist in a soft hug. For the moment we get lost in each other's eyes, neither aware of the eyes watching from the shadows with a mischievous smirk.


	6. Chapter 5

Over the next several weeks, migraines and flashbacks had become common. Steve had been out on a mission, so he hadn't been able to draw up the sketch we needed to help find the men from my first flashback. Sleep was also becoming difficult since I had started having dreams and nightmares that often kept me awake until the early hours of the morning. One of the few lights in my life was Bucky; he was always so sweet and understanding, doing his best to distract or comfort me as needed; I could feel myself falling for him more and more every single day.

Wanda and Natasha had convinced me to go into the city with them for a girls day. We took one of the SUVs with dark tinted windows and a glossy black paint and made our way into the heart of the shopping district. For the first time since I woke up from the accident, I felt like a normal young woman spending the day with her friends, and not like some science experiment gone wrong. 

As we entered another store an employee came rushing over, her too-high heels clicking on the polished tile floor as she smiled her clearly fake smile, sickly sweet voice assaulting our eardrums, "Good day ladies, welcome to Gloria's, my name is Kate, how may I be of service to you?". "Hi Kate, thank you very much, but we won't be requiring any help today, we'll be fine by ourselves," Nat answers with a sweet smile, though her tone clearly left no room for argument as she led the way further into the store and to the section that housed clothes for my age range.

After picking out clothes, Wanda led the way through shoes, accessories, and cosmetics. Finally, we made our way to the checkout, where Kate rung up the purchases, again with fake, simpering smiles and a voice so sweet that it would give anyone cavities.

On the way back, we decided to stop at a small Italian bistro for lunch. It was a family-owned business, with a cozy atmosphere and they treated everyone like family. We had hardly sat down when the owner hurried over to greet us, his name was Carlos, and he seemed to know the girls well. "I'll let Sofia know you are here and Julia will be over shortly to take your order." With that, he hurried away again. "I hope you like garlic, it goes into just about everything, except dessert," Wanda warns with a giggle.

The bell above the door chimes and I turn my head slightly to see three men dressed in black jeans and t-shirts with heavy leather jackets walk in and look around. As Carlos hurries to the door the one in front pulls a gun from the back of his jeans and points it straight at the older man. "Alright, I want everyone to put their possessions on the tables and lay down on the ground keeping your hands where I can see them!" his raspy voice rings out through the restaurant. Nat and Wanda quickly duck under the table to formulate a plan for taking them down but I remain in my seat.

I can feel a surge of power coursing through my veins as I look at the morons who thought it would be a good idea to rob an Avengers hangout. As if my body acts of its own accord, I stand up with an amused smirk and stride out to where they can see me. "You idiots picked the wrong people to mess with, now be good little robbers and lay down your weapons and surrender, because I really don't want to hurt you," I say in a sing-song voice.

"Oh, that's cute. Manhattan Barbie actually thinks she stands a chance. Maybe when we've gotten what we came for, we'll gift her to the boss. He has been saying how bored he is lately, he'll enjoy having a new plaything," at this, the three of them snicker like schoolboys looking at their dad's Playboy magazine.

"Have it your way, but don't say I didn't warn you," I shrug, smirk still firmly in place as I wave my hands. For a second nothing happens, then all at once, the gun in his hand falls apart, and judging by the clanging sounds of metal hitting the floor, so did the Tweedle Twins'. While they are still bewildered I jump and land a solid kick to the first one's abdomen and sending him flying backward, toppling the three together like bowling pins. Natasha and Wanda appear beside me; Nat makes quick work of cuffing the three of them together while Wanda works her magic on calming the minds of everyone else in the restaurant.

Once the police had arrived and apprehended the men we went back to our table, both women looking at me strangely. "What? Is there something on my face?" I ask before taking a sip of my drink that had just arrived. "How the hell did you do that? And why didn't you tell us that you could?" Wanda is the first to ask. "Because I didn't know until I did it? Seriously, it was like an out of body experience. Once I saw the guy pull the gun, it was like my body was on auto-pilot." I shrug, trying to look nonchalant, but inside I am freaking out. What the hell did I just do?! How did I do it? Would I be able to do it again? And most importantly, why did it feel like there were bugs crawling all over my skin when that guy mentioned his boss? One thing was certain though, once I found out who was behind everything, there would be hell to pay...


	7. Chapter 6

"Well, your cells are all stable, so that's a good thing. Everything is perfectly normal as far as I can tell," Bruce says as he straightens up from where he was bent over the microscope. "So basically, what you're saying is that I'm a cyberkenetic mixed with a bit of supersoldier? Did I summarize correctly?" I ask as I stand up from the exam table. "That would be correct, yes," Bruce nods.

A series of loud bangs, followed by several highly colorful expletives sounds from Tony's lab down the hall. After sharing a look with Bruce, I take off towards the sounds. Tony's lab is a minefield labyrinth of half-finished projects. I gravitate towards the back where the banging sounds are loudest. "Um, Tony? What's going on?" I ask hesitantly as the genius comes into view. Tony is huddled over his workbench, tools, and parts scattered around haphazardly; there are grease stains covering his face and hands as he mumbles to himself.

When he sees me he straightens up and grins. "Oh nothing important, just tweaking my thrusters a bit, nothing to worry about," he tries to play it off. I approach one of the holograms displaying the schematics and examine it before turning to him, "Would you mind if I take a look? I'm pretty good with technology." He waves his hand in a 'go ahead' motion. I look at all the parts before me and wave my hand over it. A second later all the parts move together of their own accord until they form a perfect replica of the schematic. "How did you do that?" Tony sounds astonished. "I'm a cyberkenetic, we found out today," I give him a small grin.

Tony opens his mouth to answer when Friday's voice rings out, "Miss y/l/n, there is a package for you at the reception desk." "A package? I didn't order anything. Thank you Friday, I'll be right there." Shaking my head in confusion, I head down to the doors with Tony hot on my heels. When I approach the receptionist, a friendly blonde named Camilla, she smiles and hands me a large black box with an envelope taped to it and no return address.

Taking it into the dining room, I open the envelope first. Inside is a folded up letter in vaguely familiar, loopy handwriting. It says:

Welcome back, darling.  
I can't wait to see your gorgeous face again.  
Love,  
G xxxx  
P.S You look breathtaking today

"That's not creepy at all," I think to myself as I lift the lid from the box before a horrified scream tears past my lips. Inside is a dozen dead roses with maggots crawling over them. If it wasn't already sitting on the table, I would have dropped it. "What the hell?" Tony breathes as he looks into the box.

The sounds of several pairs of feet running echoes through the room as Bucky, Wanda, Nat, Sam, Steve, and Clint come bursting through the door, all holding some weapon or other. "What's going on? Who screamed?" Steve asks as they all lower their assortment of knives, guns, and bows. That's when they see the box and walk closer. "Man, that's just nasty!" Sam says with a disgusted face. "Imagine if you were the one that opened the box," I quip in a shaky voice, unable to tear my eyes away and unaware of the tears making their way down my cheeks.

"Do we have any idea who sent it? How did it get past security?" Steve is using his captain voice, him and Tony going back and forth with the others throwing in the occasional comment as I zone out. Someone closes the lid of the box again and I feel a pair of arms wrap around me. "Come on, let's get you out of here sweetheart," Bucky whispers in my ear as he and Wanda lead me out of the room. They take me to the pool deck where Wanda helps me to sit down. I only notice how much I'm shaking as I reach for the soda Bucky had put in front of me before seating himself in the chair next to mine and rubbing soothing circles into my back.

Once I had calmed down and stopped shaking, Bucky speaks quietly. "Doll, do you know who sent the package?" I shake my head until a thought occurs to me and I turn to Wanda, grabbing her hands in a tight grip. "The guy from the restaurant, the one that said something about his boss being glad I'm back, maybe he called him and told him. It's the only explanation," I say rapidly, willing her to remember. "Of course, maybe he's the one behind all of this, maybe he has the answers we need, now we just have to find him," she nods. 

"Can someone please tell me what the hell you two are talking about?" Bucky asks confused. Quickly as we can, we fill him in on what happened at the restaurant, his face growing stonier by the second. "That was incredibly reckless, what if you had gotten shot?" He asks, shuddering at the thought as he pulls me over into his lap. "But I didn't Buck, besides, I couldn't just stand aside and do nothing." I run my fingers through his hair to try and soothe him.

"Please just promise me that you'll try to be careful in future, I'd never be able to live with myself if you got hurt," he whispers, leaning into my touch. "I promise," I nod. "Alright, well if you're going to be putting your life in danger, I want you to know how to fight, so I'm going to teach you," he sighs resignedly.


	8. Chapter 7

My back hits the sparring mat with a resounding wham! For the past week, Bucky and I had been sparring daily, with Natasha helping out and showing me some moves. "You're getting distracted again y/n! Focus! Remember what I showed you!" Nat encouraged from the sidelines as Bucky smirked, clearly impressed with himself.

"You gonna give up that easily doll? I thought you liked pinning me, or are you starting to like it the other way around?" Bucky taunts as he circles around me like a predator stalking its prey. Instead of answering, I whip back onto my feet and launch myself at him full force. We exchange a flurry of blows and blocks before I manage to get him off balance, driving him onto the floor, with his arms pulled behind his back and my knee pressing into his spine as I pull on his arms until he yields.

As I help him up we're both laughing. "I think that's enough for today doll, I don't think my arms can handle any more pulling," he breathes out. "Aw, poor baby. Maybe this time you'll learn not to underestimate me?" With a wide grin, I skip off to the showers to wash the sweat off.

After changing into a pair of comfortable leggings, knee-high socks, and an oversized sweater, I grab two bottles of water from the fridge before heading into the common area where Bucky is rolling his shoulders and neck. "I think I might have pinched a muscle, you really know how to kick my ass doll," he chuckles. I sit down beside him, putting the bottles on the coffee table. "Turn around, let me see if I can help you." He turns so that he is sitting with his back to me. "Let me know if something hurts," I say as I gently run my hands over his back until I get to a bump and he winces minutely. "Looks like we found it, just take deep breaths," I soothe him as I start working out the knots of muscle. "How does that feel?" I ask as he turns back to me. "It feels fucking amazing doll, you're amazing," he grins as he reaches for a water bottle.

A ding sounds from the elevator to announce its arrival. Out of curiosity, I turn my head to see who the newcomers are. As if from a dream, or should I say nightmare, the two men who appeared in my first flashback step through the metal doors, both completely engrossed in their conversation. 

My body acts on instinct as I vault over the backrest and charge at them full force, grabbing each by the throat and throwing them across the room, the sound of two skulls connecting to cement wall echoing throughout the room. As I stalk my way across the floor Wanda, Steve and Tony come rushing through the door to the theatre. I am within two feet of them when I feel arms wrapping around me, one solid muscle, the other cold metal. Without a second thought, I flick my wrist and send Bucky flying away from me. A second pair of arms wrap around me and Steve's voice, the one I called the "captain voice" rings out. "Stand down y/n. They aren't intruders, they're friends. This is doctor Stephen Strange, and Loki Odinson, Thor's brother."

Ignoring the blond's attempt to restrain me, I continue struggling against him while I snarl, "I don't give two tugs of a Chitaury tail who they are Steven! They're the ones responsible for all of this! They took my memories!"

This silences the room. Not even Tony has something to say, and it takes a lot to shut him up. The two men on the ground at least have the decency to look slightly embarrassed. After a moment Loki grins, a mischievous light sparkling in his eyes. "Hello y/n, it's good to see my favorite Midgardian has found her way home. That means only one thing, the time has come to prepare for battle."


	9. Chapter 8

"There was no other choice, it was the only way to keep you safe. But now that you've returned home, it can only mean one thing; it is time to end Hydra once and for all."

Once I had eventually calmed down and apologized to Bucky for tossing him around, Tony had called in the rest of the team. Everyone was scattered around on the couches as Strange and Loki explained themselves.

"And just how exactly do you propose we do that?" Steve asked with his arms crossed over his chest, a fierce scowl etched on his features. "If we haven't been able to end them in the last seventy years, how do you want us to do it now?"

"By cutting the head off the snake, so to speak. You see, the current head of Hydra, Gabe, has always been infatuated with Y/N. After a mission which nearly killed all of you y/n came to Strange and asked for help. We worked together to transport her to an alternate dimension where the Avengers don't exist, we also did a memory blocking charm on her as well as all of you. We can reverse it and you'll have all your memories back, and it might also help with information on Gabe." Loki explains, despite the withering glares he receives. Apparently, I'm not the only one who wants to throttle him right now.

With a series of complicated gestures sparks fly from both men's hands. My eyes fall shut as a blinding pain sears through my head. Images flash before my eyes, faster and faster as if running on a film reel. I see myself bonding with the team, getting to know Bucky, going on dates with him, all the late nights and early mornings spent clinging onto each other for dear life, I see countless missions right up until the one that almost killed the team. As the pain recedes I manage to open my eyes and see the rest regaining consciousness as the memories are replaced.

"You're suggesting we send her in undercover to kill him and shut the whole thing down," Tony realizes.

"No. Absolutely not. There has to be another way." Bucky says icily, his tone and murderous expression leaving no room for argument.

"There is no other way, I've looked at all possible outcomes of every single scenario, this is the only one that is successful," Strange finally picks this moment to speak up.

"Well, look again, because there is no way in hell that I'm sending her in alone to face that monster. Over my dead body will I let her get hurt again!" With that final outburst, he gets up from the couch and struts out of the room, leaving it bathed in silence.

After a few moments a surge of determination sweeps through my veins and I stand up to face everyone. "Alright, Loki, Strange, you two discuss schematics and strategy with the team, I'll go talk to Bucky." I turn on my heel and jog in the direction he had gone.

There is only one place he could be. I make a beeline for the gym, the sounds of flesh and metal hitting a punching bag reaching my ears before I'm even inside. I quietly push open the door and take in the sight before me; Bucky with his hair tied back and his shirt laying on the floor landing blow after blow to one of the punching bags with naked fists. One final blow to the canvas and it falls from its hook, fabric splitting and spilling sand across the floor.

I quietly approach him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turns around and envelopes me in his arms, holding me so close to his chest I can feel his rapid heartbeat. I lay my head on his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist to bring us even closer.

After what feels like an eternity of just standing in relative silence, he speaks. "I can't lose you again, I wouldn't be able to handle it," his voice is soft, almost broken as he buries his face in my hair.

I rub slow circles on his back as I consider my next words. "Sweetheart, I know you're worried, and I understand that. I would be too if our roles were reversed. But if this is the only way to take down those Засранец, then I'm willing to give this a shot. I wouldn't agree to it unless I was confident I can pull it off. I promise you won't lose me, I'll always do whatever it takes to get back to you." I lean up on my toes to press my lips against his in a reassuring kiss.

Taking over control, Bucky keeps the kiss tender as he lifts me up so I can wrap my legs around his waist. His hands splay out over my back to keep me steady as I wrap my arms around his neck. We stay like that for a long time, simply feeling each other, until he loosens his grip and lets me stand on my feet again.

Pressing his forehead against mine, he sighs, "I still don't like this, but I know I can't stop you. So I'll be there to get you out. Then, the moment this is all over, I'm taking you on vacation, somewhere remote where no one can find us."

A small grin spreads on my face as I link our hands together. "That sounds like a plan. For now, though, we should probably get back to the others."

When we step back into the common room everyone looks up. I square my shoulders and raise my head as I speak, "So, what's the plan?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation
> 
> Засранец: assholes


	10. Chapter 9

My heels click on the cement floor as I am led through a maze of corridors by two guards. The bunker is only a few hours away from Manhattan, even less considering I had taken one of the quinjets. At last, we walk through a pair of double doors, entering what looks to be an office of some sort, with mahogany furniture and the smell of chemicals in the air.

"Honey, I'm home," I smirk as I take a seat on the desk. I cross my legs and lean back slightly, just enough to accentuate my chest, as I inspect my perfectly manicured red nails. I had dressed in tight black leather pants, a red tank top and a black leather jacket with black ankle boots.

"Leave us," Gabe orders his henchmen before rising from his chair and coming to stand before me. "So, my kitten has finally found her way home. What happened? Were those so-called heroes not everything you hoped they were?" He smirks smugly, resting his hands on my thighs, slowly parting my legs to stand between them.

"They're a waste of time. They could barely stop arguing amongst themselves for more than a day. How they manage to get anything done is a miracle. You were right хозяин. I was wrong. When I left your side, I felt so lost for so long, but then you found me and I knew I had to come home. It's where I belong; by your side." I try to blink away the tears building in my eyes.

"Shh, my little котёнок. Everything is alright now, you're home. I've missed you so much." He guides my hand between his legs while his other hand cups the back of my neck. "You feel that, котёнок? Do you feel what you do to me? How much I've missed you? No one can compare kitten, no one." Before I can speak, his lips are on mine in a bruising kiss, his tongue invading my mouth in a show of utter domination as I whimper against him.

Soon enough he is tugging me against him, so I wrap my legs firmly around his hips and my arms around his shoulders, grinding myself against him, drawing sinful moans from his mouth. He stumbles backward through his office until he reaches the couch against the back wall. Tumbling down onto the rich leather, I straddle his lap, continuously grinding onto him.

He relinquishes his hold on my mouth to kiss down my neck and chest, his hands a firm grip on my ass as he helps guide me.

In the blink of an eye, I had slipped the micro-injection from its hiding place in my sleeve and jammed it into his neck, pushing down on the plunger so that the light green liquid enters his veins. His movements become sluggish and eventually stop. I push him back so that he is resting against the couch.

"What is the password to the computer?" I demand as I stand up and stride over to the desk, sitting down and turning on the desktop.

"muzeul de artă," comes the sluggish reply.

I work quickly, entering the program for the instant kill-switch that Hydra implants in all agents and the destruction of all their bases across the globe. "What is the password for Hydra's destruction?" My fingers are poised to type, knowing the mixture of sedative and truth serum will be wearing off any second now.

"Hail Hydra," Gabe sighs before his eyes snap open, realizing what he just said and did. "NO!!!" he exclaims, but it's too late, I've already pressed enter.

A countdown for the building's destruction starts, I only have two minutes to get out. I look up as I hear a click, Gabe has a gun pointed at me, his finger squeezing the trigger just as I duck. The bullet whizzes past my ear. I pull the knife hidden in my boot into my hand and launch it across the room. It makes a resounding thud as it hits dead center.

Walking over to where he had fallen, I twist the knife as I pull it out of his heart, whispering, "You will never harm me or my family again." Wiping the blade on my sleeve, I make my way to the exit as fast as my feet can carry me. Just as I'm out of the base, several explosions sound as the Hydra empire falls.

Approaching the area where I'd hidden the quinjet, I see a tall figure pacing. It's Bucky. I run towards him, wrapping myself around him as he welcomes me home to the safety of his arms. "It's done, it's all over, they're gone Buck," I repeat over and over through the tears that have started to cascade down my cheeks. We were finally free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> хозяин: master  
> котёнок: kitten


	11. Epilogue

It's been a year since I've come back home, a year since Hydra's demise. Things were relatively peaceful now. Of course, there were still other organizations and alien morons to fight, but they were dwindling more and more by the day. It was so quiet in fact that Bucky surprised me with a trip to Disneyworld for our anniversary.

It was wonderful, the days filled with wandering through the parks, going on the different rides, eating all the snacks we could, we even went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios a few times. About halfway through our trip, Bucky told me he had gotten tickets for one of the fireworks displays that evening.

We had dinner at Chef Mickey's shortly before the show was supposed to start. Afterward, we slowly made our way to the square in front of the Cinderella castle; the park was surprisingly empty tonight and for that, I was very thankful since it helped relax Bucky even more than usual.

With one minute to go till showtime, Bucky turned to me. His eyes held so much emotion that it was difficult to discern just one. He gently took my hands in his, clearing his throat to speak. "Y/N, you are one of the most important people in my life, I can't even imagine a future without you in it, because sweetheart, you are my future. I love you more than words could ever describe, but I promise you to try every single day for the rest of our lives to let you know just how much you mean to me," he slowly gets down onto one knee and pulls a velvet box from his pocket, inside is a beautiful, delicate diamond ring, "Will you do me the incredible honor of marrying me and being Mrs Barnes?"

I am stunned speechless, tears starting to flood my eyes, making it difficult to see. Finally, I manage to choke out, "Yes! Yes, I will marry you, Bucky!" Then I'm being swept up into his arms and kissing him passionately just as the fireworks go off. As he slides the ring onto my finger he whispers, "I love you doll." "I love you too Buck," I whisper with a big smile on my face and a song in my heart.


End file.
